Student Artwork Exhibited at Jafet Library

Art work on display in Jafet Library

The Department of Fine Arts and Art History set up an exhibition of student artwork during the month of December at Jafet Library. Organized by art professors Amal Muraywed and Helen Karam, the show consisted of works produced by the students in their ceramics, painting, and drawing courses.

The intention of the exhibition was three-fold. First, it introduced students to the different art courses offered at AUB, which include ceramics, sculpture, drawing, painting, and conceptual art. It was important to notice the different mediums of expression and the methods used to create the final artworks. For example, the ceramic pieces were done using an ancient technique known as coiling, which is a basic hand technique that was used before the invention of the wheel.

Second, the show highlighted the distinctions between the different fine arts. Drawing and painting primarily serve an aesthetic purpose. Ceramic pieces, however, can have a functional purpose, while also maintain an aesthetic value. In fact, according to Muraywed, the functional use of ceramics complements its aesthetic value. Another important consideration is that in ceramics "time-management is critical and the process is long." The exhibit illustrated this through the display of both the complete glazed pieces and the semi-complete unglazed pieces.

Finally, the exhibition was aimed at encouraging the development of more exhibition spaces at AUB, which would promote art appreciation and accentuate the aesthetic values of life. "Art is a sincere mirror of what is going on around us," said Muraywed. "When the arts flourish in any culture, this is a positive sign that the culture is a civilized one."